Her Wildest Dreams
by Lesser Ninja
Summary: Chihiro Fushimi was content to stay out of the limelight at school... however one night she awakens to an all-new world that seems like one of her manga, with the boy she adores from the student council.
1. Chapter 1

Chihiro Fushimi never thought she was as pretty as the other girls.

She had long chestnut brown hair parted in the middle. Her eye colour was almost an exact match, framed by a pair of slim prescription lenses. Her small nose and pursed lips completed her facial features, a bit plain, she thought. She wore the standard female school uniform, and would have gotten an earful from her mother if she tried wearing it differently like some of the others.

Not that she would be outgoing enough to do that in the first place.

Many of the second years at Gekkoukan played for their sports teams, or joined one of the extracurricular clubs. They all seemed to have things come so easily to them.

Not so much for her.

If it hadn't been for Kirijo-sempai, she wouldn't even be the treasurer on student council. She'd still be in the library reading…

Alone.

Chihiro wasn't a sad girl, by any means. It's just that she never felt able to hold a candle to how beautiful or talented the other girls her age were. So she never considered who the most handsome guy in her class was when she talked with her friends, or even remotely thought about going out on a date.

Part of her phobia of men stemmed from this fact.

While she got along with her female classmates, and completed her studies well enough, the shy treasurer's whole world revolved around reading her shojo manga and taking care of her mother. After thinking she'd never be good enough, she subconsciously began to believe it.

There wasn't an air of depression about her, nor was she upset by the way things were. Chihiro felt like very many people across the world; living contented with what they had, never striving for anything that seemed out of their reach.

Then she met _him_.

….

She had been working quietly on the excel-format funding margin as usual.

The overhead fan spun lazily, the windows were open to the crisp April air. The sound of the sports teams practicing outside drifted in.

The scratch of the lead pencil skittered through the relative peace, Hidetoshi's voice being the only other sound in the student council room.

The door slid open.

Chihiro peeked over the lip of her clipboard.

The transfer student was standing there in the entrance.

He was taller than her; about 170 cm she'd guess, and wore his blazer open with a pair of Audio Technica Headphones resting on the lapels. A small, cylindrical Sony walkman hung over his chest.

Minato Arisato, a junior to her sophomore. His deep cobalt hair covering his left eye in a laconic manner, and grey eyes that stared impassively through his fringe.

Those grey eyes flickered to meet her gaze for a second, before she startled and returned to her work.

Mitsuru Kirijo looked up and noticed his entrance. She proceeded to introduce him as the new member of the student council.

As the members introduced themselves, or were pointed out by Mitsuru-sempai, Chihiro couldn't help but steal another glance at the smooth, angular jawed young man. He looked like a model she'd see on TV, it was hard to believe people like that were real.

However, it wasn't anything that had to do with her, so she went back to giving the spreadsheet her full attention again.

….

It was a day or so later that she actually ran into him.

"…C-can I help you?!" She stammered a bit loudly.

_Oh no, oh nononononono! Now he's going to think I'm weird!_ Chihiro thought with anguish. Her heart started racing and she leant defensively against the wall.

"I want to talk?"

His voice was as low. If he was at all put off by her behaviour, he didn't show it. His question seemed to be more of a probe if he was welcome to talk to her.

"I…I-I don't have anything to talk about!"

She swallowed nervously.

"…Oh, um…I'm sorry…"

A moment went by as the ribbon around her neck became uncomfortably tight.

The blue haired boy in front of her stood there as the air between them suddenly turned awkward, and then walked away, leaving her alone again.

Chihiro took a few deep breaths and bolted for the bathroom.

….

The cold water from the sink felt bracing on her skin.

She gasped as she fished around for her glasses, spraying droplets that distorted the mirror where they landed.

Fushimi stared at her reflection in the mirror, and wrung her hands absently.

That boy had just wanted to talk to her, and she had freaked out on him.

She moaned and gripped her head in despair.

Why did she have to go and ruin everything?

….

It a day later that she saw him pass her in the hallway again.

Rather than pointedly avoid her, or look the other way, Minato came down the same way he had before, and greeted her just as kindly as he had earlier.

Chihiro felt a bit of elation inside, maybe he wasn't angry at her for yesterday!

"U-uhm…M…Minato-san?" She forced the words out of her mouth. They sounded naked and alone in the relatively silent hallway.

"Yes?" So soft.

"I…I…"

Chihiro never knew why she chose that moment to meet his gaze. The moment she locked eyes with Minato Arisato was one of the most courageous things she had mustered herself up to do in a long time.

She watched his stand there patiently, his hands in his pockets, his shoulders tilted back in a relaxed manner. His face held no trace irritation with her, but his eyes looked…kind.

"I-I'm sorry about yesterday. You see…"

From that point on, everything changed.


	2. Chapter 2

There was a burnished tone of pastel yellow to everything as the sun crept down. The leaves outside painted a miryad of intricate shadows from where they lay scattered about the street. In the second storey window of her house, a young girl sat at ther desk in her room.

The pen sctratched buisily over the paper pages of her journal as Chihiro recorded the day's events.

So much had happened since she met Minato!

At first, they had been spending time together as Senpai and Kohai, she was so glad he didn't mind her awkwardness around him.

They had studied together, and gone to the bookstore a few times!

She'd never been able to handle being around a boy that long before!

The pencil paused as Chihiro's cheeks turned red.

Now she'd been having dreams about Minato-san.

She huffed in frustration listened to the skylarks chirping outside her window. When they were together in her dreams, Minato-san was holding her hand, or telling her how beautifule she was. Not really acceptable behaviour between a Sempai and Kohai.

Then again, she thought with an ill concealed giggle, she wasn't sure she wanted to be _only _friends with him much longer.

"EEP!"

She shook her head to clear the embarrasing train of thought, and blushed was all very new and exciting for the girl.

Minato Arisato was her first crush.

….

The final bell rang shrilly, signalling the end of the school day.

The bustle of schoolmates pattering along the hallway filled the air, and Chihiro leant back a little further against the wall.

Suddenly, throught the sillouettes of the many people exiting their classes, she saw him walking towards her.

He smiled wordlessly, and the two made their way out the school doors.

"Did I keep you waiting long?" Minato asked.

"Oh no, It wasn't long."

"Ah. Good."

She peeked up at his face.

"You look tired."

Minato rubbed his eyes with his left hand.

"I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Hmmm..." Chihiro put a finger to her lip thoughtfully.

"It was a full moon last night, and you're always tired when one of those comes by..."

If she had been looking carefully that moment, she would have seen his eyelid twitch.

"Maybe you're a werewolf."

There was a puase before he let out the breath he'd been holding.

"You've found me out, I guess."

Chihiro giggled to herself.

"Sempai's a nice werewolf though."

"Grr..."

The two highschoolers laughed together as they trod down the sun-dappled sidewalks.

….

They at last arrived at the point where Chihiro's house lay in one direction, and Minato's dormitory in the other.

"So I'll see you tomorrow then?"

Minato turned towards his smaller companion.

"Yes. I'll meet you around 9:00."

"Okay."

There was a brief moment where a boyfriend and girlfriend would kiss, but Chihiro hadn't mustered up the courage for something like _that_ just yet. As it was, the two exchanged a meaningful smile, and parted ways.

After walking a few minutes down the road, Fushimi came to the steps of the two storey apartment she lived in with her mother.

It was styled like all the others lining the streets, a nouvau european design based on practicality and compact dimension. They were, however, very tasteful, the local planning committee having an inclination to showcase a brighter suberb.

The teenager walked through her door, taking care to shut it quietly.

"Mom, I'm home!" Chihiro called out.

A forty-something woman with kind eyes and her chocolate hair done up in a bun came out of the laundry room with a hamper in her arms.

"Welcome back sweetie, how was your day?"

"Great, I'm going upstairs to study."

"Okay, dinner will be ready soon."

Chihiro padded quickly up the stairs, working her legs in a surprising speed.

She stepped lightly into her room and tossed her bookbag onto the bed. She spun around for a moment, pretending it was Minato dancing with her.

The girl descended into giggles and flopped onto her bed. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.

Chihiro Fushimi was absolutely smitten with Minato Arisato.

….

It was getting very late.

Chihiro continued scrawling notes through her notebook as her eyes drooped lower.

English studies was such a hard course. She wasn't even halfway through her vocab list, and there was so much more to memorize...

Sigh.

At that moment her cell phone went off.

She fumbled about for a moment in surprise, before locating it underneath a math textbook.

"H-hello?"

"It's me."

Chihiro sat up straighter.

"Oh, Minato-kun!"

"Sorry to call you so late."

"I don't mind! Uhm...what's wrong?"

There was a pause.

"Chihiro," His voice sounded strange, "I want you to know you're special to me..."

The girl's face reddened with a furious blush, she had most certainly not been expecting _that!_

"W-w-w-wha...?"

"...and, I...might not see you again, so I just wanted you to know."

The warm feeling she had been experiencing turned to ice as her heart dropped into her stomach.

"What?" Her voice was weak suddenly.

"Goodbye, Chihiro." The call was hung up.

"No. No! What are you talking about?!" Tears etched their way down her porcelain cheeks as she desperately called out to the dead connection.

The clock ticked. One minute to midnight.

Chihiro began to shake. Her sempai had helped her open up to the world, and overcome her fear of men. He was what made her as strong as she was today. He was...

The minute hand budged.

He was...

The smaller seconds hand ticked closer.

He was...

The clock's gears clicked, and all hands pointed to twelve.

"**MINATO!**" Chihiro screamed at the top of her lungs.

The lights stopped working.

Her cellphone went dead.

All around her, Chihiro became aware of the sudden crushing silence.

She slowly turned her head towards the window, and past her tear streaked face...

...The sky hung sickly green over a blood-drenched shadow of the former city.

….

The shy treasurer stood up uncertainly, and backed away from the frightening image through the glass panes.

"Wh-wha..." She looked about fearfully.

No one answered the girl's plea.

"M-mom?" Chihiro's voice cracked.

The girl rushed over to her mother's room. She sprang through the door, and shrieked as she flinched away from the sight.

A polished coffin lay in her mother's place.

Outside in the hallway, Chihiro sank down against the wall holding her head as she sobbed.

She was so scared. Alone and scared.

At a time like this, or another similar crisis, a person will often instinctively move for the person they care about most.

Without stopping to take anything with her, Chihro ran down the stairs and bolted out of her house.

She edged her way fearfully around the puddles of blood that covered the street, making her way towards the dormitory where Minato lived.

The girl felt the crushing fear of the silent city suffocating around her small frame. The macabre blood puddles and coffins interspersed about the way only heightened her terrified state of mind.

After running for a good ten minutes she began to feel tired, and slowed to a stop as she reached the street where Minato lived.

She felt the cold air of the nightime hit her then, and gathered her thin shirt more tightly about her frame.

Then, the oaken door of the dormitory creaked open in the silent street.

The sound startled her, and Fushimi took cover behind a concrete walkway leading to one of the nearby apartments.

The person who emerged was Minato Arisato.

Her voice caught in her throat, what stopped her from rushing over there was...

He was carrying a sword, and wearing a black, kevlar vest like she had seen policemen in.

Behind him some other teenagers emerged. Junpei Iori from his classroom, hefting a long katana over his shoulder, Yukari Takeba carrying one of the bows from the archery team, Akihiko Sanada, the senior boxing champion, and even Mitsuru Kirijo-sempai! She was holding a rapier, with a burnished pappenheimer hilt.

All of the high schoolers were armed and armoured in a similar fashion, and carrying some sort of pistol in a tan leather holster about their waists.

"Alright." Mitsuru's commanding tone broke the quiet of shuffling gear. "We'll form up behind the leader. Yamagishi will support us from the command room."

There was a chorus of affirmative statements, and the group began moving down the street towards the Iwatodai station.

Chihiro shifted about nervously. She didn't know what was going on, and after hiding wasn't sure whether to reveal herself, or not.

So with a hesitant step, Chihiro began to follow the SEES team down the street.

"Minato..." She whispered to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

She didn't know why she didn't call out to him, but it felt awkward now that she hadn't to begin with, and she didn't know what to say.

All of the feelings running through the adolescent's mind were only heightened by the tension she felt coming off the serious faced group ahead of her.

When they came to the train station the group paused outside the double doors. An inhuman scream tore through the air.

Fushimi hid behind a support pillar of the station entrance and watched the group go in. She inched closer and peeked past the cold grey slab of concrete that hid her from view.

Her throat seized up in terror.

A monstrous creature reared up from the inner plaza. It's twisting tentacles thrashed about as it's bulk turned to meet the onslaught of SEES.

She watched Minato lead the charge, pull his silver handgun from it's holster and place it against his temple.

"NO!"

The trigger machanism fired, and from the other side of his head a torrent of crystal blew apart. A blue aura surrounded Arisato, and an appiration materialized behind him.

It was that of a dragon, twisting among it's scaled trunk.

The beast roared in challenge to the monster and a pilliar of green energy descended on the thing. The dragon then dissapeared from view.

Minato charged on and dispatched a smaller creature with a violent thrust of his longsword.

Chihiro watched the battle commence with wide eyes.

It was like one of her Shojo Manga. The hero and his friends fighting monsters with swords and magic...

The shy bookworm leant against the cold support and pinched herself. She couldn't believe what was happening.

Her chestnut eyes followed Minato's movements as he dashed back and forth. Evading the enemy's strikes and using his sword and handgun with deadly efficiancy. The others fighting seemed to follow his orders, though they must be using radios since there could be no way to shout over the din of combat.

The scope of the battle soon became larger, Junpei taking shelter behind a row of stalls to evade a breath of fire from the monster. Mitsuru was steadily backing up a stairway as she hacked about her with the rapier.

Akihiko staunchly remained in the epicenter of the fighting with Minato, striking with his gloved fists at the creature when he could dash into an opening in it's guard.

Yukari was firing off arrows from a higher vantage point on the eastern wing, though she seemed to be shouting something to Mitsuru nearby.

Suddenly the creature lashed out in all directions with it's tentacles.

Akihiko caught the strike with a high guard and was sent flying into the window of a nearby shop.

The other fighters ducked behind their nearby cover.

Minato was not so lucky.

Caught in the open after having used his handgun to summon another of those appirations, he was struck full on and sent violently into the glass pane of the station doors.

He smashed through and rolled once. Flailing weakly in his shock he coughed blood.

Chihiro felt a pain in her chest, and her insides felt like ice. She started to shake as she brought her hands up to her mouth.

….

The creature reared up and advanced towards the entrance, sensing victory. A long barbed appendage rose and pointed towards the leader's fallen position like a spear.

Shouts rose around the station, as the others desperately fired off their spells to try and stop the monster, but they would never make it in time.

Minato rose up on his elbows, staring at the advancing shadow.

He couldn't feel his limbs respond fast enough as he struggled to rise. It was as if he was underwater. The copper taste of blood was in his mouth and he winced as he felt about for his sword.

As the spear rose up and stilled, Arisato realized he may have just met his end.

"_Minato!_"

A pair of slim arms wrapped around him, and he felt his head pulled into a soft chest protectively.

His eyes traveled up past the shadow ahead, the curve of the station entrance and night sky, to see Chihiro's tear-stained face above his.

She whipped her head up as the tentacle shot foreward.

A thousand thoughts played through her head at that moment. She thought about her mother at home, about her father that left them. She thought about every struggle she'd faced in her life, both important and meaningless, and how it lead up to this moment; And most of all...

She thought about the boy she loved, and how she was willing to die for him.

….

There was the sound of breaking glass.

In the back of her head she felt a cold rush, like someone had poured icewater into her skull.

The blue glow surrounded them, and a bright flash erupted in front of them.

Chihiro heard a voice echo in her head.

_Thou art I, and I am thou._

_From the sea of thine soul I come forth._

_I am Nausicaa, maiden of the seashore._

A pale form rose up, that of a woman made up both machine and organic. The skin tone was black, and she was clothed in white, a shawl of metal in a sharp design about her shoulders. Long brown hair streamed back from a european styled visor-helm.

The figure raised its arm, and halted the speeding barb of the tentacle, crashing it against an invisible shield.

The monster howled in agony, and the figure then raised both of it's arms.

_Samsara!_

A pilliar of blinding golden light descended upon the creature, burning it's flesh and piercing through to the ground below. The monster screamed as it was burned away beneath the light.

At last silence descended on the station, the corpse of the beast vanished in a burning purple flame.

Nausicaa slowly dissapeared, and Chihiro looked down at Minato who she still held in her arms.

The girl tightened her embrace and smiled through the haze of tears, still able to make out his soulful grey eyes looking into hers.

"I was so afraid." She spoke with her voice raw. Two tears driped onto Minato's cheek.

"_You mean so much to me._"

She folded over, and passed into unconciousness atop the boy she loved.


	4. Chapter 4

The sunlight streamed between the window shutters, casting light across the sleeping girl's face.

Chihiro Fushimi slowly came awake at the stimuli of the bright morning light. Looking to her bedside she missed the usual furnishings of her bedroom and sat up straighter in bleary confusion. Then after a moment, her memories came rushing back.

The chestnut haired girl brightened up with a giddy smile, slipping out of her covers in her nightgown.

The girl found her small bag containing soap, shampoo and conditioner, and left her room for the floor's showers.

The hallway was very still and quiet, enough that Chihiro found herself walking more quietly out of instinct.

Along the way she passed Fuuka Yamagishi, who gave her a quiet 'good morning' before the two of them found respective shower stalls in the women's bathroom.

She twisted the tap and gasped as first bracing cold water cascaded over her shin, and then relaxed as it warmed to a more agreeable temperature.

Chihiro ran her hands through her mane of hair, and began scrubbing her vanilla scented shampoo into the brown locks.

Once done, she let it sit while she ran the bar of soap along her lithe body, taking care not to slip as she cleaned her feet.

Four minutes later, the girl rinsed her body and hair. Taking her towel from the peg outside the stall, she wrapped the terrycloth robe around her wet shoulders and stepped out.

Fuuka remained in her own stall humming a pleasant tune.

Chihiro padded along the carpet of the hallway, wanting the sun shine through the glass of the far window, illuminating the dorm corridor in a watercolour spread.

She returned to her room and closed the door behind her.

Fushimi sat down on the chair by her desk and began her daily feminine rituals.

Her hair was brushed no less than forty times, her teeth brushed, flossed and she applied a new moisturizer she bought from Tanaka's morning show.

_Is this supposed to make my skin more beautiful?_ She wondered staring at her relection in the mirror as she applied the cream. _I overheard the girls from 2-3 using it..._

With a lighthearted shrug, she shed the bathrobe and began dressing herself for school.

…

Class hadn't changed at all.

It was nice that in the tummlet of events that had been shaping her life as of late, some things remained the same as always.

Chihiro slimed to herself and scribbled away through her notebook as the lecture wore on.

…

With school over, the girl all but skipped down to her footlocker.

Exiting the main doors of Gekkoukan High School, Chihiro walked briskly down the tree-lined path.

She could hardly wait to get back to the dorm and see her friends!

While the girl had been on good terms with her schoolmates before, she had never been very outgoing, and missed out on alot of the social aspect of school.

Now she found herself craving the company of her dormitory.

_And him._

Fushimi blushed suddenly, and hid her face behind the books cradled in her arms.

…

Before she returned to the dorm, there was something else she had to do.

Chihiro took the familiar route along the sidewalks and avenues that she had taken for years.

The lingering signs of the afternoon sun played through the leaves overhead, the trees planted along the sidewalks in ordered rows. Street by street.

Coming at last to her old house, Chihiro Fushimi walked up to the front door and used her key.

Inside the same familiar entryway, the girl found her mother standing in the livingroom doorway.

"Oh welcome back sweetie!"

Chihiro stepped foreward and hugged her mother. Though she had been gone but two days, her mother lived alone, and she worried about her.

"How are you making out so far? Do you like your new friends?" Her mother chatted excitedly as the two of them sat down in the livingroom.

"Yes mum."

"Hmmm..." Her mother smiled and lay her head in her hand.

"I'm so glad you were able to find such good friends. Miss Kirijo is quite a kind young woman."

While money was tight around their house, the Fushimis had enough to pay for Chihiro's schooling, though being given lodging at the dormitory for nothing was a fortuous turn for them.

"It will be very important for you to keep your friends later in life." Her mother finished with a note of sadness in her voice.

Chihiro listened quietly, "Ever since your father left, I've had no one but you to care for. I have one or two friends from work, but nothing can compare with your childhood companions."

She smiled again and closed her eyes.

"Enjoy these days, Chi-chan. You'll never forget them."

Chihiro blinked back the hot wetness in her eyes and hugged her mom again. Unwilling to let her see her cry again, after all these years.

…

The oak door swung shut behind her, as Chihiro stepped into the main foyer of the SEES dormitory.

"Welcome back! How was your day?" Fuuka asked upon seeing her come in. Fushimi responded in kind.

The sound of running water came from the kitchen behind the bar. The smell of stirfry reached her, and the girl let her books sit atop the front desk as she walked over to help with dinner.

Past the stone-top bartable was the entrance to the dorm's kitchen. In the white and tan tiled room, she found the blue-haired team leader, chopping away at some vegetables.

"H-hi!" Chihiro spoke up hopefully, she wasn't sure what to do having just walked in.

Minato turned slightly and inclined his head.

"Welcome back."

"Would you like some...help?"

"Sure."

She walked over the tiles, her shoes click-clacking as they moved over the hard surface. The girl picked up a wet bowl filled with cabbage leaves and began running them under the tapwater.

Minato turned to her again.

"How was school?"

She looked over at him, met his eyes and glanced away in embarrassment.

"It was, um, fine. I got the reports for the athletic club's funding finished so..."

"Good, I guess that gives some time off." Arisato smiled.

Chihiro let a smile of her own warm over her features. Just standing there, cutting vegetables with Minato-san for the dorm's dinner, felt so..._nice_. She loved the feeling of belonging she got here.

Fushimi began to hum a tune as the tap ran and the knives busily chopped. Steam rising from the crackling oil of the pan, the overhead fan drearing on from above.

After a while Minato began humming it as well.

Had he been looking very closely, he would have seen her smile grow just the slightest.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, don't be so stingy with the rolls man!"

"You've been eating the most of them out anyone here, Junpei!"

Akihiko manouvered the bread basket out of Junpei's grasp and held it out across the table, where Minato promptly snatched up three rolls for Yukari, himself and Chihiro, as they were seated.

"You know Iori, you really should try some of the vegetables."

Mitsuru remained pristine next to Akihiko, handling her cutlery with practiced poise. She deftly skewered a red pepper and bit into it. The colour was strangly simillar to her lips, and evidently caught Akihiko's attention long enough for Junpei to liberate another roll.

"Yeah about that, I hmrnrnnn..." Some crumbs fell from his chin.

Yukari rolled her eyes and turned back to Fuuka.

"So you're taking Home Economics now?"

The green-haired girl swallowed her bite of stir-fry and nodded.

"Mm hmm, I was hoping to get better with my cooking skills, I'd never had the chance to learn at home."

"Oh I know what you mean, I always let my mom cook for me. I should have gotten some practice before moving out..."

As the talk circulated about the table, Chihiro continued to take small bites of the beef and vegetable stir fry she had helped prepare with Minato. It tasted _really _good.

"I think we did a good job." Said the blue-haired boy in question.

"MMPH!"

The poor girl had attempted to answer, but covered her mouth as she hiccuped suddenly.

Minato bit his lip to suppress a chuckle and elbowed her arm as she swallowed, her face burning red.

"Uhm, I...Yes! We...we did!"

"Uh huh..." Minato nodded thoughtfully while they stared at each other.

"Y-your carrots added alot of flavour."

"But without your cabbage it would have been bland."

"Oh, I guess we both made the dish what it was."

"Together we stand strong."

"Mmm..."

They maintained eyecontact for another second before descending into laughter muffled by their hands over their mouths.

Junpei had an eyebrow cocked as his knife was paused in mid-slice.

"Am I missing something here."

Arisato gave his damnable expressionless stare and shrugged, though the humourous quirk of his mouth gave him away.

"Ahem."

Mitsuru tapped her glass with the side of her knife and addressed the group.

"We will be entering Tartaurus once more tonight, though this will be the first time with Fushimi as a group member."

Chihiro straigtened and paid attention. She didn't want to let the group down.

"Since we have just elimanated that last large shadow, there should not be a crest in their number for a while. As such, we can take a breather, and also give Fushimi a chance to adapt to the pace of battle."

Chihiro steeled herself and nodded firmly. Across the table Junpei gave her a thumbs up, and Akihiko-sempai also nodded confidently. They had faith in her.

"When you're finished, Arisato?"

The SEES leader looked up.

"Hmm?"

"May you take her to the armoury closet and help her get kitted out?"

"Of course."

Minato sat up and clattered his cutlery and plate together, beside him Chihiro doing the same.

The two rose, and left to drop off the dishes in the sink.

…

The storage closet SEES had appropriated as an armoury for their spare equipment was rather small, but none the less served it's intended purpose.

Minato led Chihiro inside and gestured towards the weapons rack.

"Try out anything you like. If there's a weapon you feel comfortable with, it's yours."

The treasurer stepped up to the rack and let her hand ghost over the different swords.

The katanas looked a bit too heavy for her to swing properly.

And those rapiers needed alot of skill to properly inflict damage...

Further down the rack she spotted a european longsword. It had a short handle and a minor hilt, the blade extending straight into a spear tip.

She lifted the sword from the wooden pegs and gave it an experimental swing.

It flew easily through the air, and she could feel the weight of the weapon confidently in her grasp.

"I like this one, I think." She said at last.

"It suits you." Minato said quietly.

He moved over to a number of boxes, opening one and removing the plastic wrap.

"Here's the armour we've been using. Officer Kurosawa from the police department has been keeping us supplied with the nessesary gear."

He removed a black vest that looked to be weighted down, some straps arranged about it's construction.

"It's a Class III bulletproof vest, or something. We got them on surplus from last year's police upgrade. They're using different ones now."

Minato walked up to the girl and held up the vest.

"Can I help you get it adjusted?"

"Y-yes! I mean, um sure."

She lifted her arms and he placed it over her head. The black nylon was a tad bulky, two ceramic plates positioned inside, both front and back. Minato began tugging adjustment straps tight to fit her frame.

He accidentally pulled too tight about the stomach and elicted a sharp squeak from the shy girl.

"EEP!"

"Sorry, I'll loosen that..."

Chihiro gasped as she was able to breath again.

"How can you fight in this thing?"

Minato paused for a second.

-You're about to find out.

-You'll get used to it.

-Go on a diet.

He thought to himself for a second before replying.

You'll get used to it.

Chihiro smiled and nodded, "I hope so."

Minato smiled back reassuringly.

…

The night was very cold. Chihiro couldn't remember the last time she had ever had to be out this late. The whole city seemed to be a different place. She shook her head and willed herself to be brave.

The group of teenager reached the gates of the high school.

Akihiko flipped open his cellphone and watched the clock tick down.

11:58

11:59

The moon overhead flickered.

12:00

The screen abruptly went dead, and everything about them was cast in a greenish haze.

Fushimi stared as the Gekkoukan high school began to quake, and rise up into a grotesque citadel.

"Tartarus..." She breathed out.

Minato took point, and the group began to walk towards the entrance.

…

The interior was a tiled floor with a grand ceiling. Strange shapes morphed about the walls, and a plush carpet led up a staircase to an ornate door to the center of the chamber.

Amid the shuffling of gear, the team began going through their routine preparations for the operation.

Fuuka moved away to a corner beside the entrance and raised her evoker to her temple. Following the crash, she was surrounded by a fishbowl-like enclosure beneath the dress of her persona.

"I will provide support from here. Please tune your radio to frequency 140.85, Fushimi-san."

Chihiro switched the dial on the small radio she had buckled on her belt, and adjusted her ear bud.

"Can you hear me?"

"Yes, just fine. We'll be on open frequency, so all of us can talk together."

Akihiko apporached her and held out a ziplock bag packed full.

Here's some medical gear. If any of us on healing support can't get to you in time, you can use these.

"T-thank you, sempai."

"No problem."

She began packing away the items into her vest's pockets. Chihiro took a deep breath and watched the proceedings.

Mitsuru spoke first, "I will be leading the secondary team as we try to reach the 65th floor. Those who are not going with Arisato and Fushimi tonight will be on another night so we are all familiar with our new member's fighting style, and vice versa."

She nodded towards Minato, and he continued.

"Junpei, Chihiro, you're coming with me to the 25th floor."

Chihiro glanced at Junpei as he was off swinging his sword around and striking cool poses.

"Uhm..." She pointed at Iori, and Minato reassured her.

"He knows what he's doing."

Mitsuru's team moved towards a glowing green pad, and waved before dissapearing in a flash of light.

Minato drew his sword and walked forward, signaling to Fuuka.

Chihiro and Junpei fell into step behind him.

"Let's go."

Fushimi felt a sharp sensation of vertigo, and everything went white.

…

They were standing in a chamber simillar to the first floor.

Minato began walking to the left corridor, and Junpei and Chihiro ran after him.

"The dark hour doesn't last long, it is only an hour, after all. We need to hurry."

As the trio ran down the tiled floor, they encountered a number of monsters in an adjacent room.

Minato and Junpei drew their evokers in syncronization, and fired.

Orpheus and Hermes appeared in the air before them, and moved forward to inflict a physical-oriented attack.

Two of the floating shadows dissapeared in a torrent of black fire, while three more remained.

In retaliation, a tentacled flyer with a purple mask fired off a gust of ice, which Minato sidestepped and Chihiro barely dodged.

Her breathing grew shallow, and she felt her pulse quicken. She was fighting for her _life_ here!

She fumbled for her evoker and put it underneath her chin.

She was breathing heavily now, sweat running down her face.

_Oh god,_ She stared with wide eyes, _That one's coming towards me!_

A blue glow of a bufu spell began to gather about the shadow, and Chihiro suddenly depressed the trigger of her pistol with a gasp.

BANG

The icewater feeling returned, and she felt a sudden power run through her veins. The shy treasurer felt her mouth twitch into a grin as she glared at the monster before her. The crystal explosion from her head spun around her in a blue haze as Nausicaa apeared once more.

This thing was no match for her _justice._

"Nausicaa!" She shouted as her persona moved.

The maiden drew back her fist and smashed it into the oncoming shadow. A disproportionate amount of force blew the monster back, killing it instantly.

"Whoo! Nice one Chi-chan!" Junpei hollared enthusiastically as he hacked against another shadow.

She laughed as the tension of her first battle ebbed away, and joined her companions in the fight.


	6. Chapter 6

It was half past twelve when SEES finally returned to the dormitory, though Chihiro felt much more tired than she should be.

Even simply moving about weighed down on her limbs, in that single hidden hour so much more tenacious than the rest.

The girl sighed and loosed the black plastic buckles of her bullet-proof vest, cradling the heavy bundle in her arms.

"Great work everyone," Mitsuru spoke up as she crossed the threshold, "Let's call it a night."

"You feeling okay Chihiro-chan?" Junpei Locked the door behind the group, flinging his gear over his back.

"Yes. I'm just…tired." She admit.

Iori straightened the brim of his cap, "Yeah, everyone gets that. Apparently everything is more strenuous during the Dark Hour."

"Oh so you did remember this week's vocabulary word." Minato remarked offhandedly.

"Well yeah, what do ya take me for?"

"Then how come I had to tell you the answer in second period?"

Junpei face faulted.

A round of laughter went up as the group of teenagers recovered from their exploration. Chihiro placed her hand on Junpei's shoulder and shook her head smiling. He brightened up knowing _someone_ wasn't laughing at him.

The treasurer almost skipped her way to the stairs. She loved this place.

…

The alarm must have gone off just after she fell asleep.

Chihiro fumbled blindly for the clock, only to find that it was indeed time for school.

An anguished look passed over her face as she pulled herself out of bed, and prepared to dress for school.

Now she understood why Minato was so tired all the time.

After a few minutes of bumping about while trying to pull on her skirt, and almost overbalancing into her desk, Chihiro grabbed her book bag and headed for the door.

She walked down the dim hallway of the third floor, reaching the landing and taking a moment to buy a pick-me-up from the vending machine for 120 yen.

Coming down the stairs she spotted Minato leaving for school as well.

He looked up at her and thumbed the pause button on his walkman, waiting for her to come down.

"Good Morning."

Chihiro nodded, "Good Morning."

There was an unspoken agreement, and the two walked together through the lounge and out the door of the Dorm.

"I'm still so tired after last night, Is it always this exausting?" Fushimi mumbled to her blue haired partner as she trudged along; warming her hands with her breath in the cold morning fog.

Arisato nodded offhandedly, "You'll get acclimated to the routine after a while. It's always hard the first few days."

"Nnnn…"

He smiled and ambled along beside her.

…

It was a challenge to stay awake through the entirety of Hidetoshi's lecture in the student council room.

Normally the shy girl would pay attention out of respect for her sempai, but today she felt really out of it.

"Fushimi-san?"

She lolled her head up from her resting place on the desk.

"Mms-empai?..."

"Erm…"

Hidetoshi coughed into his hand.

"Perhaps you should head home now. If you're too tired to get any work done you needn't push yourself."

"Mmm."

Chihiro nodded appreciatively and slowly exited the room.

She came to her foot locker at the school entrance and found Junpei in an adjacent aisle.

"Iori-san?"

He looked up and inclined his head at recognizing her.

"Oh, hey Chihiro-chan. Heading home?"

"Yes. I'm still tired from yesterday…"

The gangly boy laughed and swung his backpack over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I know what that's like. I must have skipped first period for a week before I could get up in time!"

Chihiro smiled and looked towards the door.

"Are you waiting for anyone?"

Junpei shook his head and made his way for the exit, "Nah, I'm just leaving. You going now too?"

"Yes."

The two fell into step as the last bell rung.

"Sooo…" Junpei began.

If Fushimi had spent any length of time around the cap wearing boy, she would have instantly recognized the telltale warning of one of Junpei's embarrassing insights coming up. Sadly, she did not.

"…What was all that about with Minato's injury?" He finished with a joking leer.

Fushimi's cheeks coloured red, and she attempted to hide behind her book bag again.

"W-w-w-what?"

Iori leaned back and closed his eyes as he continued walking.

"First you appear out of nowhere and save the guy's life, then you're all over him when you find out he's hurt? Sounds like someone's-"

"NO!"

"-Got a-"

"IORI NO!"

"-Crush."

The shy girl's whole face was a rosy hue, and it was a mystery how she was able to walk with that bag held in front of her face. The sudden outburst had attracted some stares, causing Fushimi to only withdraw further.

"Aw I'm just teasing ya girl!"

"Don't be mean, Junpei-kun…" Two big brown eyes looked at him plaintively.

He held up his hands.

"All right, all right. I'm sorry."

They walked in silence for a moment.

"You could confess in his _room…_" Junpei mused aloud theatrically.

"AAAAaaahhh!"

Chihiro covered her ears and broke into a run for the dormitory. It had all proved too embarrassing for her.

Iori laughed and tried to catch up with the distressed girl.


End file.
